Turning your friend into a lover

Now that you have worked your butt off building your friend list and expanding your network of friends how do you convert them into fans of you and/or your business? For most of us we are more focused on Step 1: which is to build our network or the email list but we never really considered Step 2: which is to convert our friends into loyal customers.

Obtaining and retaining a solid and committed network of friends will mean that you must build strong, meaningful relationships with your friends. Fortunately having reliable communication channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs or personal websites make it so much easier to do just that.

By creating a Facebook profile, Facebook group, Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account etc. you can provide timely, useful and relevant information to your friends. However, you must ensure that the communication process is not only one way and that you are accessible and responsive to their questions and comments.

Be passionate about your business and don't be shy about it. Don't fake it, if you are genuine then others will feel and know it, your enthusiasm will be contagious and soon everyone else will want what you have to offer.

Brand yourself as a leader and distinguish yourself from your competitors. Showcase your uniqueness and always communicate the benefits and value to persons of being in your network, or for obtaining your products/services.

Partner and interact with the movers and shakers in the industry.You will be perceived as being important and this will attract more people to your network. People are more interested in associating with an important person than one who is not.

Show appreciation to your friends, let them know that you are grateful for them just being your friends. This message can be communication through newsletters, emails, free giveaways whatever works best for you. People love to feel and be appreciated, they will likely be more supportive of you and your business if they know this.

Last but not least, ensure that the product/service you are providing meet the needs of the users. The use of the product by the user must be able to immediately translate into tangible or intangible benefits to the user, therefore, providing a positive customer experience. By providing a positive customer experience your friend will be a happy customer. This happy customer will become a loyal customer(fan) who will be more than willing to tell others about the product/service and become a repeat customer himself.

So with any business that you are operating, whether it is an Affiliate or Network Marketing business you must be prepared to convert your customers into loyal customers inorder to have a strong customer base that can sustain your business for the long term.